Locking device for can-covers



(No Model.)

0.. D. PHILLIPS & G. H. LITTLEW'OO'D. LOOKING DE'VIGE FOR GAN- GOVERS.

No.,467,19'6. 'Paten-wdm.19,1892.

JCMQ

. A TTOHNEY'S INVENTOHS':

ORSON D. PHILLIPS AND GEORGE H. LITTLEVOOD, OF LISLE, NElV YORK.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR CAN-COVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,196, dated January 19, 1892.

Application filed March 28, 1891- Serial No. 386,825- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ORSON D. PHILLIPS and GEORGE H. LIrTLEWooD, of Lisle, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved Device for Looking Covers upon Cans, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to an improved device for locking covers upon cans, and has especial application to milk-cans.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking device of simple and durable construction adapted as a fixture to the can-body, and which maybe engaged with the lid and expeditiously and conveniently manipulated to clamp the body of the lid to the body of the can and maintain them in such position.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that it may be readily loosened upon the body and disengaged from the cover.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisf'specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevationof a portion of a milk-can,illustrating the application of the device and the cover as looked upon the canbody. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the can-body only, illustrating the position of the device after the cover is removed from the body; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device detached.

The body A of the device may be made of any desired material, but preferably consists of a single piece of spring-wire of suitable thickness and bent to an essentially circular shape, the wire being twisted upon itself to form a coil 10 at a point we denominate the back of the circle and eyes 11, diametrically opposite each other and located at the sides of the circle. The eyes 11 are preferably made by coiling the wire, whereby they have a spring action when the ends of the body are drawn together. The ends of the wire are preferably bent upon themselves to form two loops 12 and 13, the loop 13 being preferably tically in the same horizontal plane as the.

Alink 14 is connected bottom of the loop 12. with the loop 12 at one end, and the opposite end of the link is ordinarily provided with an eye 15, constituting a handle to facilitate the manipulation of the device. The link is also preferably curved, and the free end thereof extends through the loop 13, the handle 15 serving toprevent it from beingdrawnthrough the latter loop. a connection between the ends of the body. Hooks 16 are pivotallyeonnected to the body Thus the link 14 constitutes at each side through the medium of the eyes 11.

The device is placed upon the neck B of the can B and is adapted to remain upon said neck, being prevented from. dropping off by the rib 17, which is ordinarily formed upon the top of the neck, as shown in Fig. 2.

The device is made of such diameter that when in its unlocked position (illustrated in Fig. 2) it may be slid up and down the neck and will normally rest upon the body of the can at its junction with the neck. v

The can-cover B is provided in' opposite sides with an aperture, and when the cover has been placed upon the can the device is carried upward in the direction of the cover and the hooks 16 are made to enter the apertures in the cover, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

To look the cover upon the can, the handle 15 of the link 14 is grasped and the link is carried out at a right angle to the neck of the can in the direction of the loop 12, and when the link has been brought to a horizontal position, or practically so, the outer end of the loop 12, which is bent outward, as illustrated at (F, is carried through the loop 13. When such position of the two loops is reached, the link is slid through the projecting portion of the loop 12 to an engagement with the outer surface of the wire forming the loop 13. By these means the body is contracted sufficiently to closely clamp the neck of the can, the frictional contact being so great that the cancover cannot be lifted off.

If the can'cover is not to be removed until a predetermined destination is reached, a lock 17", preferably of the padlock pattern, is connected with the link.

\Vhen the lock is removed, the device may be readily loosened, so as to lift off the cover, said loosening being accomplished simply by drawing the link in the direction of the loop 13 until the end of the link engages with the loop 12, whereupon the link may be released and the ends of the body will automatically spring apart to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, and when the body has been loosened the hooks may be disengaged from the cover.

It will be observed that the link 14: serves the dual purpose of a lever drawing the ends of the body together and of a bolt maintaining the ends in such position.

we desire it to be distinctly understood that if in practice it is found desirable the eyes 11 may be omitted and an equivalent therefor be substituted; also, that the loops 12 and 13 may be formed otherwise than illustrated.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a lock for can-covers, comprising a springbody adapted to encircle the neck of a can, the ends of which body are provided with loops, a link connected with one loop and passed through the other, and clamps attached to the spring-body and adapted for cngagement with the can-cover, substantially as shown and described.

2. A look for can-covers, consisting of a spring-body bent to an essentially circular shape, the ends of the body being provided with loops, a link connected with one loop, passed through the other, and provided with an enlargement at its free end, and clamps pivotally connected to the body, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A look for can-covers, comprising a bodysection constructed of springwvire bent to form a coil at a point in its length and provided with loops at its extremities, a curved link connected with one loop, passed through the opposite loop, and provided at its free end with an enlargement, and hooks pivotally connected to the body, as and for the purpose specified.

4. A look for can-covers, consisting of a spring-wire body provided at its ends with loops, one of the loops being larger than the other and the smaller loop curved at its outer end at a right angle to its body, a link connected with the smaller loop, passed through the larger loop, and having an enlargement at 'its free end, and clamps pivoted upon the body, as and for the purpose specified.

ORSON D. PHILLIPS. GEORGE II. LITTLEWOOD. Witnesses:

DEWITT MILLEN, M. M. HoLMBE. 

